All posts tagged: Toy

Hobbyist builds retro Apple Macintosh inside toy clock

Hobbyist builds retro Apple Macintosh inside toy clock

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The Apple Macintosh personal computer is an iconic piece of tech history—with an emphasis on the word history. Compared to the 32-bit PCs of yesteryear, today’s hardware is so advanced that it often feels like trying to compare a gas-guzzling Ford Model T to today’s all-electric cars.  The Macintosh’s throwback graphics and interface still elicit a certain degree of nostalgia, however. Combine that emotion with one of the best examples of computing miniaturization on the market, and you get a DIY project that pays homage to the computer’s earliest days while celebrating how far the tech has come since then. I turned a CLOCK into a vintage Mac! YouTube channel This Does Not Compute recently showcased their journey to turn a tiny desk accessory into a full-fledged Macintosh computer. The basis is simple—a novelty digital alarm clock housed inside a case designed to accurately mirror the PC’s 68000 era. All that’s needed is to clean out the toy’s innards, …

Pixar Animation Studios at 40: From Toy Story to tackling AI

Pixar Animation Studios at 40: From Toy Story to tackling AI

Published by Daniella Wilson

You wouldn’t know it now, but Pixar Animations Studios began small, so small that its chief creative officer reflects, “I’m not sure exactly why I went to Pixar.” Peter Docter says, “I’d always grown up thinking, ‘I’m going to work at Disney. Someday, I’m going to draw Mickey Mouse.’ Then instead, I went to this place that no one had heard of… literally no one.” The same cannot be said today, of course, as the award-winning company responsible for beloved films including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc, Ratatouille, WALL•E, Cars, A Bug’s Life and Inside Out celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. In 1979, George Lucas hired Ed Catmull to head Lucasfilm’s Computer Division, which in 1982 completed the first fully computer-animated scene in a feature film for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In 1986, Steve Jobs purchased the Computer Division from Lucas and officially founded Pixar as an independent company, made up of about 40 employees. In 1988, the short film Tin Toy was released and it became the first computer-animated film to …

From Toy Story to Bridgerton: TV & film are shaping 2026’s biggest trends

From Toy Story to Bridgerton: TV & film are shaping 2026’s biggest trends

Published by Daniella Wilson

TV and film have always been influential in the worlds of fashion, hosting, interior design, travel and beyond. Remember when Rachel’s choppy and layered bob in Friends became responsible for influencing the haircuts of a generation? Or when the debut of The White Lotus’ first season led to a surge of tourists visiting the real-life hotel? Or when Mad Men brought classic mid-century furniture pieces back into the home and office? 2026 will be no different. With the help of expert Sydney Stanback, Global Head of Trends and Insights at Pinterest, we bring you a glimpse of the future: the trends which will shape how you dress, decorate, host and socialise this year, from what you buy to the vibes you aspire to – all influenced by TV and movies. When it comes to fashion, it won’t be a screen-inspired haircut having a moment this year, Stanback predicts – it’ll be dressing like a poet. Fasten your cape That’s right. The likes of Paul Mescal, wearing a worn leather jerkin in Hamnet, and Carrie Coon, …

‘Crying horse’ toy plushie goes viral in China

‘Crying horse’ toy plushie goes viral in China

Published by Sam Flores

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Now Playing Why a ‘crying horse’ toy is going viral in China 02:38 UP NEXT House votes to end partial government shutdown 00:49 Documentary shows how a Bay Area community brought lacrosse to their hometown 04:43 Jill Biden’s ex-husband arrested on charges of murdering his current wife 02:06 How Black History Month was created 03:26 Son surprises father with tickets to NFC championship game 02:34 Top Democrats react as members of Congress review latest Epstein files 04:23 Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty 02:17 Actress Catherine O’Hara dies at age 71 02:52 First responders reflect one year later on deadly midair collision over Potomac River 02:34 Former sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 20 years for Sonya Massey murder 02:25 Civil rights attorney Ben Crump talks debut novel ‘Worse than a Lie’ 05:11 Growing number of Americans prefer pets over kids 02:40 Federal Reserve decides to keep interest rates steady 02:43 Rubio testifies about Trump administration’s Venezuela policy 03:31 DHS: …

Nostalgic 1980’s McDonald’s Happy Meal toy is back — but only for a limited time

Nostalgic 1980’s McDonald’s Happy Meal toy is back — but only for a limited time

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more McDonald’s has officially revived one of its most-requested Happy Meal toy lines, bringing back the nostalgic Changeables figures to restaurants across the U.S. starting Tuesday. Changeables, the Transformers-style toys that debuted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, are making their first major comeback in nearly four decades. The collectibles start as familiar McDonald’s menu items or restaurant icons, like fries, McNuggets boxes, soda machines and Happy Meal cartons, and fold or flip into robots, dinosaurs, or other imaginative characters. The launch includes updated robot and dinosaur designs inspired by the original 1987, 1989 and 1990 releases. The new lineup includes 16 collectible characters, each with its own name and personality. “I have a soft spot for Teef Rex I won’t lie,” McDonald’s senior …

Red Hot Christmas Toy Crashes So Badly That Kids Can’t Actually Use It

Red Hot Christmas Toy Crashes So Badly That Kids Can’t Actually Use It

Published by José Betancourt

Getty Images / Catherine Falls Commercial Parents were left scrambling on Christmas day after the hot toy of the season appeared to crash and burn, in a perfect cautionary tale about the era of connected gadgets that can easily brick if their delicate infrastructure is put under strain. The toy, called the Tin Can, is basically a stripped down landline phone that places calls over WiFi. The devices are styled after colorful tin cans — like an old school tin can telephone, an archaic toy so thoroughly ancient that kids today presumably have no idea it ever existed — with twirly cords just like the landlines of yore. The pitch is that the Tin Can allows parents to set up a sort of closed network of other Tin Can users, making it a nice compromise for kids who are too young for a cell phone, but who still want to communicate with their friends and family members. It’s free to call other Tin Can users, or parents can pay a $10 monthly subscription to make …

At CES 2026, I Found a Pet Toy That Lets You Play With Your Dog From Another Continent

At CES 2026, I Found a Pet Toy That Lets You Play With Your Dog From Another Continent

Published by skeptic

I’ve always dreamed of being able to play with my dog 2,000 miles away. Well, actually, that’s not true. But now that I know technology exists to make that possible, I can’t believe I’ve been living without it.  I first spotted the PePeHola smart dog toy while wandering the CES show floor, surrounded by the usual blur of screens, robots and wall-to-wall crowds.  Then this small, hamster-ball looking rubber dog toy stopped me in my tracks.  Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. It was unassuming at first glance, but once I learned what it could do, it felt like a glimpse into a future where being away from home no longer means being absent from my dog’s life. I was genuinely amazed by how cool it was, not in a flashy tech-demo way, but in a quietly realistic one. The interactive ball can be controlled through the PePeHola mobile app or the Wi-Fi powered remote control.  Macy Meyer/CNET PePeHola lets you play with your dog …